This invention relates generally to an exterior decorative trim piece for motor vehicle windows, and more particularly to a molded one piece surround trim strip that is used to cover a plurality of seals in a vehicle window opening.
Movable windows in motor vehicles are conventionally sealed by elastomeric seals located at the periphery of the window opening. More specifically, a typical movable window in a motor vehicle is sealed at its bottom edge by a belt line seal, at its sides by one or more glass run seals, and at the top of the window opening by an edge receiving seal.
Conventional sealing systems used with movable window panes in automobiles usually comprise a number of separate pieces that are attached to a weld flange associated with the window aperture, or to channels that are attached to the structure surrounding the window aperture prior to the installation of the glass run. These elements include inner and outer belt line seals, glass run seals and header seals among others. Comer pieces are normally employed at the joints between the sealing elements.
Glass run channels are used in motor vehicles to support windowpanes that are movable between an open and a closed position. The glass run channels guide the window pane along its front and rear vertical edges during movement, and support the window pane so as to form a seal between the window pane and the vehicle door or body. The belt line and header seals also form weather resistant seals between the vehicle body and the movable window pane.
A variety of materials have been incorporated in the seals from time to time. Thermosetting materials, such as EPDM rubber are generally considered to provide the best performance. EPDM rubber is almost universally used as a sealing material because of its very good sealing characteristics, a long life and other properties that make it particularly well suited to this application. Rubber seals provide a good seal, withstand a wide range of temperatures, and are easily extruded in configurations that allow them to be used in a wide variety of particular applications.
A persistent disadvantage of rubber seals is that they are normally coal black in color, and cannot be readily made in colors other than black. EPDM rubber is difficult or impossible to color, and therefore is almost universally black, and has a relatively low gloss. Although vehicle purchasers are used to low gloss seals for movable and fixed vehicle windows, there is a demand among vehicle designers for systems that allow different color choices, so that, for example, the seals can be matched or coordinated with body colors, chrome or other treatments can be used, and basically, that a wider variety of colors than dull black can be employed. Many attempts have been made to make the rubber seals more attractive by providing surface coatings of a plastic material or the like thereon, which can be both colored or textured to match the appearance of the vehicle on which the seals are used.
Another problem associated with extruded rubber seals relates to the need for using different profiles to seal different portions of a movable window pane. More specifically, much effort has been expanded in providing connecting pieces for connecting the seal located at the belt line of the vehicle to the glass channel seals, and connecting the glass run channel seals to the header seal. While much progress has been made, automobile manufacturers continue to demand better and better appearance, and more and more flexibility in providing the colors and textures needed to match the appearance of the body of the vehicle. Some of the difficulties arise from the manufacturing tolerances associated with the vehicle body itself. Providing smooth transitions between the various sealing elements requires that the weld flange surrounding the window opening be particularly uniform and closely controlled. This adds cost to the assembly of the vehicle door, for example, and is undesirable for that reason.
Decorative trim pieces have been used in association with glass run channels to improve the appearance of the exterior edge of the glass run channel. Some trim pieces are attached to or co-extruded on to an exterior portion of the seal, while others are fastened to the structure of the door or body surrounding the window. Heretofore, multiple trim pieces have been required to cover the glass run, belt line and header portions of the window seal. The application of multiple decorative trim pieces to the exterior of a vehicle window opening is expensive, labor intensive, results in gaps and/or the need for corner pieces to connect abutting pieces and accommodate the shape of the window opening. These generally produce less than optimum appearance and a more difficult and undesirable manufacturing and installation process.
For example, separate trim pieces are attached along the belt line of the window opening, the B pillar, the top of the window, and the A pillar areas of the window opening. Often a still further piece of molding is attached near the A pillars/belt line junction, where an exterior rear view mirror is often positioned.
Even when decorative molding is incorporated in the glass run channel by insert molding or other techniques, multiple pieces are still required for the A and B pillars, the header and the belt line areas, as well as the mirror area.
Decorative trim pieces also have been incorporated into window frame assemblies attachable to the vehicle door. For example, DE-A-31 26 491 discloses an arrangement of a window assembly having a decorative frame that is roughly t-shaped. The frame has hooked extensions that serve to mount the frame to the sheet metal of the vehicle door. Various components of the window assembly such as a fixed glass pane, an outer sealing slot, and a window guide are all supported by the frame. EP-A-0 792 766 likewise discloses a decorative surround molding that is attached to a flange on the vehicle by fasteners. Various seal members such as a belt seal and one or more gimp seals are in turn attached to the surrounding molding.
Because of manufacturing tolerance problems, the quality of the fit and finish of the trim pieces is hard to control. The length of the weld flange around the entire window aperture is subject to manufacturing variances. In order for the multiple trim-pieces to fit together in the most attractive way, the tolerances must be as small as possible. There is an increased cost associated with controlling the edge tolerances during stamping and forming, as well as connection with the tooling fixtures required during assembly of the door inner and outer panels to ensure that the weld flange is uniform. Reducing the number of length of areas that have critical dimensional characteristics reduces the cost of the door and is desirable.
There is a need for a sealing system for the movable windows of a motor vehicle that overcomes the disadvantages just mentioned. More specifically, there is a need for a sealing system that allows EPDM rubber or similar materials to be used to provide a high quality seal, but which at the same time provides flexibility as to coloring and texture, so that the needs of vehicle designers can be accommodated.
There is a need for a sealing system for motor vehicles that reduces the dimensional requirements on the vehicle door manufacturer, so as to avoid unnecessarily increasing the cost of assembly of the door. There is a need for a sealing system that can be applied to a door in which the tolerances between the assembled elements of the door are relatively loose, but which at the same time provides a continuous smooth appearance without step downs or the like.
It is an object of this invention to provide a one-piece glass opening cap or trim piece that is attached to the outer belt line seal, the A and B pillar glass run channels, and the header seal, without the need for comer or other connecting pieces. Optionally, the one piece opening cap may cover the portion of the window opening near the A pillar/belt line junction where an exterior rear view mirror is located.
It is another object of this invention to provide a one piece cap molding that accommodates manufacturing tolerances to a greater extent than heretofore possible, and allows for adjustment during installation to accommodate window openings that are slightly smaller or larger than nominal.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a glass opening cap molding that has an attachment structure that cooperates with a mating attachment structure on each of the belt line, pillar glass runs, and header molding pieces for allowing the cap molding to be snapped into place after the belt line seal, A and B channel glass run seals and header seals have been installed on the flange surrounding the window opening.
It is an object of this invention to provide a sealing and trim system for the window of a motor vehicle that utilizes a plurality of rubber seals, together with a one piece decorative surround cap that is attached to the seals, and provides a uniform continuous appearance that may be easily colored or textured to complement the vehicle body.
It is another object of this invention to provide seal elements that are compatible with a one piece decorative surround cap, for allowing the surround cap to be easily attached to the seals, after the seals have been installed in the vehicle.
Briefly stated, in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, a decorative window surround sealing system includes a plurality of seals adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body for sealing a movable window panel in a window opening, each of the seals having an exterior surface, at least one fitting on at least one of the plurality of seals, a one piece surround cap having at least one cooperative fitting compatible with at least one fitting on the at least one of the plurality of seals for attaching the surround cap to the at least one fitting, the decorative surround cap covering a substantial portion of the exterior surface of each of the plurality of seals.